Personally, I expect the field to be stretched from the WR position. The offense can only have 11 men on the field. Team already has 7 dedicated to 5 lineman, a QB, and charles (who you want to keep on the field).

That leaves 4 players. Reid's runs a quick strike offense, and he wants Alex to get rid of the ball quickly. Guys like Avery and Jenkins can get down the field much more quickly than any TE.

Yes, but TEs who can run are far more dangerous than WRs who are fast but don't have the speed of, say, a Mike Wallace or Randy Moss. Fast WRs like Avery and Jenkins don't really have the ability to box out DBs and out-jump them for the ball. That's why a fast TE is a much deadlier threat, IMO.

You have to keep in mind, Leonard is putting up these numbers at 250+ pounds, not 190-210 like your typical speed WR. As a TE, he'll be going up against safeties and LBs the vast majority of the time vs Avery and Jenkins who have to try to outrun CBs who are just as quick and fast as they are. And if an offense sticks a CB on the fast TE instead of a S or LB, the TE is going to be able to outmuscle virtually any CB in this league (not named Sherman).

That's why the Gronk and Hernandez combo was so deadly, no one had/has the players to match up against them.

Fast WRs like Avery and Jenkins don't really have the ability to box out DBs and out-jump them for the ball. That's why a fast TE is a much deadlier threat, IMO.

you are confusing the issue of vertical seperation and horizontal seperation. Avery and Jenkins can create horizontal seperation. They dont have to "box out dbs and out jump them for the ball" because they have created seperation. Players like Bowe and Baldwin have to "outjump" defenders because they havent created horizontal seperation and thus have to create vertical seperation.

Alex Smith doesnt like to throw to guys covered. He doesnt like throwing to a crowd and depending on his reciever to "box out and out jump".

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldSchool

You have to keep in mind, Leonard is putting up these numbers at 250+ pounds, not 190-210 like your typical speed WR. As a TE, he'll be going up against safeties and LBs the vast majority of the time vs Avery and Jenkins who have to try to outrun CBs who are just as quick and fast as they are. And if an offense sticks a CB on the fast TE instead of a S or LB, the TE is going to be able to outmuscle virtually any CB in this league (not named Sherman).

Sure, its a game of matchups, and Reid likes to get his skill players in space. Having a reciever (whether a TE or wr) who can stretch the field will open up things for the running game (less men in the box) as well as JC as a reciever. JC and Bowe will continue to be the primary receiving options in Reid's offense. I just dont see Reid sending a TE out to "outrun" anyone. He wants guys who can get horizontal seperation very quickly. That has been his M.O. and a pillar of his West Coast offense.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldSchool

That's why the Gronk and Hernandez combo was so deadly, no one had/has the players to match up against them.

against them as a combo, sure. Gronk is a big matchup problem by himself when healthy.

Amaro struggles in tight end drills. Despite 106 catches last season, he isn't the most natural hands catcher and that showed during the receiving drills as the projected first rounded struggled to consistently catch the ball away from his body.

Amaro displayed good length to extend with the reflexes and tracking ability to quickly adjust, but too often he fought the ball at the catch point, especially in the gauntlet drills. Amaro was also coached on several occasions for slowing down in his route breaks and not exploding around the cones.

kansascity.com/2014/02/22/4842870/players-whose-stock-went-up-and.html
Here are the players whose stock rose and fell, according to Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout.com and CBSSports.com.

Texas Tech tight end Jace Amaro: “I was a little disappointed in Jace. He wasn’t quite as fast I was expecting, and he struggled a little bit catching the ball. You see that a little bit on tape, but I thought I saw him drop as many passes today as any of the tight ends that tested, and considering he’s in the first-round conversation, that’s obviously alarming. He’s earned some Jimmy Graham comparisons, and he certainly didn’t look like Jimmy Graham today.”

kansascity.com/2014/02/22/4842870/players-whose-stock-went-up-and.html
Here are the players whose stock rose and fell, according to Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout.com and CBSSports.com.

Texas Tech tight end Jace Amaro: ďI was a little disappointed in Jace. He wasnít quite as fast I was expecting, and he struggled a little bit catching the ball. You see that a little bit on tape, but I thought I saw him drop as many passes today as any of the tight ends that tested, and considering heís in the first-round conversation, thatís obviously alarming. Heís earned some Jimmy Graham comparisons, and he certainly didnít look like Jimmy Graham today.Ē

In other words, his less-than ideal sized hands may actually be an issue.

I really like Crockett Gillmore in the 5th round. At 6'6", 260, he's not fast, 4.89, but he is a good blocker and also a very good receiver. He really was the best receiving TE in the Senior Bowl.

cbssports.com said this about him -

Quote:

On the flipside, Colorado State's Crockett Gilmore did a terrific job during the positional drills. He has average-at-best speed, backed up by his 4.89 40-yard dash, but he tracked the ball very well and reeled in tough catches with his long arms and wide catching radius.

Like most tight ends his size, Gilmore isn't overly sudden in his routes, but he's a very natural pass-catcher with consistent play speed. The other aspect about Gilmore that caught my eye was his hustle -- while other players walked back to the huddle after a drill, he was jogging past them and staying focused on the next exercise.